The Packers defense has a problem and a solution: play their best guys

Evan Williams didn’t start until a month into the season. Edgerrin Cooper is only just now playing meaningful snaps ahead of Isaiah McDuffie. These are easy fixes.

The underlying metrics for the Green Bay Packers defense are scary.

Did your eyes glaze over at “underlying metrics”? The simplest way to explain it is that while Jeff Hafley’s defense creates negative plays, opposing are able to get positive yardage on a regular basis when that’s not happening.

There’s also a simple way for the Packers to find some consistency where they’ve lacked it without giving up any of the explosiveness they’ve shown to date, leading the league in turnovers: keep playing their best players. 

It took an injury to finally insert Evan Williams into the lineup. Since he arrived there, the former Oregon standout has been a revelation. Pro Football Focus ranks him fourth among safeties in defensive grade this season, behind the two Detroit Lions studs and Xavier McKinney, a contender for Defensive Player of the Year. 

Williams’ arrival in the secondary slid fellow rookie Javon Bullard into the slot where he thrived at Georgia two seasons ago. He’s a much more natural fit as the slot defender than Keisean Nixon who has surprised as a solid boundary cornerback. Bullard is the twitchier, move-instinctive defender, especially in the run game. The arrival of this first-year pair as every-down players contributes significantly to a run defense that has taken a quantum leap from the Joe Barry era.

Heading into their bye, the Packers rank 10th in EPA per rush and 15th in rush defense DVOA, and while their success rate (19th) isn’t quite as good, it’s not so far off as to be concerning. Even with the defensive line not playing its best, Williams and Bullard as potential overhang defenders make up for some of that disappointing play with their playmaking ability and intelligence belied by their age. 

The more they can play together, the better this defense gets.